Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles

Yes, I'm a Robotech fan from the 80's. But I can honestly say that I've long since forgotten most of the storyline and am not an avid anime watcher.

That being said, the movie immediately jogged my memory of where Robotech: New Generations had left off. It does not, however, lend itself to engage new viewers of the series since the main job of the movie, which is accomplished quite successfully, is to rekindle the nostalgia of the old movies while attempting to transition into the new storyline.

So yes, young kids who are watching Robotech for the first time probably won't equate this movie to say, Beauty and the Beast, because by design, the movie is not easy to pick up and watch. The movie is not a stand alone. There is no complete plot. It literally transitions from New Generations onto the Shadow Chronicles.

Numerous characters that fans will recognize pop up here and there. Shadow Chronicles does a masterful job of connecting the viewer to the characters since the protagonists they choose to follow are literally kin to some of our most beloved characters from the previous series.

The plot, although not quite seamless, does summarize the three-way relationship between Invid-Robotech Masters-Humans. It also introduces another element to the equation, dubbed the "Children of the Shadow." Although the movie does not fully explain who the "Children" are, you seem to get the feeling that all subsequent episodes will address this issue and go in-depth to detailing the Children's place and motive. Again, the plot is intentionally inconclusive so that it can eventually transition into perhaps a full blown series.

The animation is entertaining. Mixed usage of 2D and 3D CGI graphics are awkward at first, but blend in once the story unfolds. In fact, I found the CGI annoying at first, but after a while, I got used to it and actually found myself pleasantly amused. The one downside of the CGI is that I've seen better in a lot of movies and video games, so I do feel somewhat shortchanged. I don't want to be unfair by saying that it's not good, but at the same time you can tell that it's no Pixar production.

Ultimately, I will say that if you're into Robotech, you will probably enjoy this movie a lot. If you have no idea what Robotech is, you'll probably feel mixed, a little confused, but perhaps eager to find out more. Overall, the movie is entertaining if it's understood that it is not, again, a stand alone. And to its credit, I found myself thoroughly enjoying it and wishing that they would continue the saga just so that I can get myself back into the story and get some closure on the unsatisfying end to New Generations.

Picking up where the original series left off, Scott Bernard continues his search for Rick Hunter and the fate of the SDF-3.

I was kinda bored and I found this movie on the internet and i suppose it actually did it's purpose for entertaining me.

I really loved the movie and how it was written. It was scripted specifically for fans of the series who needed that empty void filled. I know many of you probably waited almost 20 years for this. As for myself I just finished the series in the summer and fell in loved with the series and cried at the ending or lack of.

I won't give any spoilers away but they do a good job of explaining whats happened so far and finishing it up. The new characters feel like they would fit perfectly into the Robotech Sagas. The art itself was really impressive, instead of going for the most glamorous visuals everything looked exactly like the original. Aside from a more detailed and clean picture the art itself resembles the show.

Well the release date is coming soon and I'm definitely gonna pick it up. For those who weren't fortunate enough to see a sneak peak, the wait is well worth it. Considering some of you have been waiting for as long as I've been alive (I'm 20)

However, my lack of speech is more out of respect for the original series than anything else. As a long-time fan who grew up on Robotech every day after school, it is extremely hard for me to speak about the series with harsh words. And yet, that's what I feel I must do.

This movie is a prime example of why Americans (or maybe just Harmony Gold) should NEVER, EVER, EVER be allowed to do Japanese-style anime. To begin with, the plot is predictable, the dialog is terrible and the voice acting even worse. Seriously, the voice acting is worse than a bad dubbing job. However, even if all of that were true, at least there should be some great eye candy for Robotech fans, right? Really cool robots flying around, new aliens to gawk at, cameos from old characters, cool new armor, etc. Wrong, you get NONE of that.

The mecha in this movie is so utterly disappointing. On the Earth side, you get Alpha and Beta Fighters with a short scene with Cyclones. Not a single new mecha. Not only that, but the mecha are rendered in the worse CGI I have seen in decades. Simplistic models with no texture mapping at all (AT ALL!!), no cell-shading or any other advance techniques to maintain an anime-style feel. Just pathetic. On the Invid side, all you ever see are the standard Invid Troopers (they may even be Scouts, I didn't get a good enough look). For the "Children of the Shadow", you only get to see their mecha for about 5 minutes towards the end, and the mecha design is really primitive compared to Japanese designs.

Overall, it's hard to believe that this movie was made twenty years after the original series. If you watch the many sequels for series such as Macross, each one brings to the table advancements in animation, character and mecha design. The Shadow Chronicles is a step backwards in each of these areas. If you are super die-hard fan as I am, you will probably ignore this review and see the movie anyway, because you need to see for yourself. However, just be prepared to have your childhood memories ripped to shreds.

My problem with Shadow Chronicles is where's the ending? It was touted as answering the question of what happened to Rick Hunter and the SDF-3 but we still don't know.

I have no problem with the animation like other people seem to, though it does come off as being a little too slick. The film itself seems to be more of a prologue setting up the storyline for a series which has not eventuated.

I agree with other reviewers on the feeling of being ripped off and not getting to see our old favorites from the Macross Saga. I know a few of the characters were killed off in the Sentinels novels. Why not finish off the Sentinels story arc? There's so much they can do with Robotech.